A man who attacked and robbed a terrified priest in his home has been jailed for four years.

Michael McTaggart, 41, demanded cash from 73-year-old Father Patrick Hennessy after telling the priest he had a gun.

McTaggart then proceeded to steal envelopes of cash donations from the church house at St Columbkille's Roman Catholic Church in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire.

Father Hennessy escaped from his house where he was helped by neighbours while McTaggart fled the scene.

The robber was caught after police examined CCTV footage of the area.

On Tuesday at Glasgow Sheriff Court, serial criminal McTaggart pleaded guilty to assaulting Father Hennessy and robbing him of collection money on May 13.

Sheriff Martin Jones QC said: "You have pled guilty to an extremely serious offence, which must have been a terrifying experience.

"You used violence to extract money from him and pulled him in to the house after you had obtained money and threatened him in the vestibule of the premises."

The sheriff added: "The time has come to realise if you continue offending this way your sentences are going to get longer and longer."

The court heard Father Hennessy is "physically frail" and helps people who come to his door when he can, usually by giving them food.

Defence lawyer Roddy Roberts said his client had committed a "nasty crime".